India: Green Schools for Better Learning Environment

The state education department has decided to develop new schools and subsequently convert existing ones into environment friendly ‘green schools’ in order to improve retention and enrolment in government schools.

Initially, ten new green schools will be developed in ten districts in 2013-14 at a cost of Rs 17.6 crore. These schools will be rated according to the national rating system for green buildings-Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA).

The pilot project, to be implemented under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), will take off in Ahmedabad, Banaskantha, Bharuch, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar, Jamnagar, Narmada, Rajkot, Sabarkantha and Vadodara.

“The idea is to create an environment sensitive to a child’s psychological, social and intellectual needs and also ecologically responsible. It has to develop better understanding among children towards environment,” said Sangeeta Singh, Principal Secretary (Primary Education).

Singh added the green school project also involves review of existing designs and identifying ways to make them more sustainable and green.

The project requires these green schools to be developed in a manner that they require low maintenance, use of maximum natural light, ventilation and maximum pollution control, judicious use of natural resources, maximum use of new environment friendly technology and maximum use of materials that can be recycled.

Each school will be in compliance with Ministry of Human Resource Development ‘s (MHRD) Right to Education Act (RTE) and Whole School Development Plan (WSDP).